baseballfandomcom-20200222-history
March 1
1800s *1887 - In preparation for the upcoming National Colored Base Ball League (NCBBL) season, the Falls Citys of Louisville sign Al Prater from Detroit and W.S. Purnsley from the Cuban Giants. In addition, they have recently started construction of a 2000-seat park. *1888 - The Washington Nationals National League club leaves on its southern tour a day earlier than scheduled, due to a superstition against starting a trip on a Friday. *1889 - The Philadelphia Phillies head for Jacksonville, Florida, for spring training. No other ML clubs will train in the Deep South this season. *1891 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys and Cleveland Spiders are the two NL clubs making the heaviest raids against American Association player contracts. Pittsburgh further earns its new nickname of "Pirates" by signing good-hitting outfielder Pete Browning and pitcher Scott Stratton away from Louisville Colonels. *1892 - The first meeting of the united National League and American Association takes place in New York. Only four teams from the collapsed 1891 AA are invited to join the NL, which will expand to 12 teams with a 154-game schedule split into two championship series. *1893 - John Pickett wins $1,285.72 in a lawsuit against the Baltimore Orioles (NL), his most recent team. Baltimore had claimed that they did not owe him this sum —Picket's entire 1892 salary—because he "was slow in his movement, and had a sore arm which incapacitated him from being of service to the club." 1900s-1930s *1903 - Baseball rules committee chairman Tom Loftus of the Washington Senators proclaims that the pitcher mound (box) must not be more than 15 inches higher than the baselines or home plate. *1909 - The Pittsburgh Pirates begin construction of their new stadium near Schenley Park near the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. The state-of-the-art stadium will be named Forbes Field in honor of John Forbes, a pre-Revolutionary British general. *1910 - The National Commission prohibits giving mementos to players on winning World Series teams. This will later be reversed, making way for the traditional winners' watches, rings, and stickpins. *1919 - Philadelphia Athletics owner Connie Mack makes one of his biggest player mistakes, trading third baseman Larry Gardner, outfielder Charlie Jamieson, and pitcher Elmer Myers to the Cleveland Indians for OF Braggo Roth. Veteran writer Ernest Lanigan predicts that Roth will lead the circuit in home runs at Shibe Park, but Roth will be shipped to the Boston Red Sox by midseason. Gardner will put in six more .300 years, and Jamieson will be a top leadoff man and .303 hitter for the next 14 years. *1936 - After spring training, the Yomiuri Giants of Japan beat the San Francisco Seals (PCL) of Lefty O'Doul, 5–0. On March 5, the Giants they will win again 11–7. 1940s *1942 - Major league owners decide not to allow furloughed players in the military to play for their clubs if based near a game site. *1944 - Future Hall of Fame catcher Rick Ferrell is traded by the St. Louis Browns to the Washington Senators for Tony Giuliani and cash. When Giuliani refuses to report to his new team, Washington will send Gene Moore to the Browns to complete the trade. *1947: **In anticipation of the signing of the first black players, Bill Veeck, a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, sets up a spring training camp there for the Cleveland Indians. Arizona is chosen because of its relatively tolerant racial climate. During the season, Veeck will sign the American League first black player, Larry Doby, who will train at the camp. The New York Giants also set up camp in Arizona, while the Brooklyn Dodgers move their training camp from Florida to Havana, Cuba. **New managers in spring training camps are Billy Herman with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Muddy Ruel with the St. Louis Browns, Bucky Harris with the New York Yankees, and Johnny Neun with Cincinnati Reds. Neun had ended 1946 as manager of the Yankees after both Joe McCarthy and Bill Dickey had quit. *1949 - The St. Louis Browns, owners of Sportsman's Park, move to evict the St. Louis Cardinals in order to gain a rent increase. 1950s-1970s *1954 - Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams fractures his collarbone] on the first day of spring training. The injury occurs as Williams dives for a ball hit by teammate Hoot Evers. As a result, the injury will force Williams to miss Opening Day and will keep him out of Boston lineup until May 15. *1965 - Future Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente misses the opening day of spring training because of a bout with malaria. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ right fielder will sit out a full month of training camp with the disease, which he contracted during the off-season. Clemente will recover to bat .329, but will hit only 10 home runs with 65 RBI, his worst totals since 1959. *1967 - Commissioner William Eckert approves the Baseball Writers Association of America plan to select a Cy Young Award recipient from both the National and American Leagues. The honor, which was initiated in 1956, had been given to just one pitcher in the major leagues each season, a position strongly supported by former commissioner Ford Frick. *1969 - New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle announces his retirement. Mantle, who slumped to a .237 batting average in 1968, finishes his 18-season career with 536 home runs and a .298 average, numbers that would have certainly been higher if not for persistent knee injuries. The Yankees offer Mantle a coaching position on manager Ralph Houk’s staff. *1971 - Willie Mays signs a two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants for $165,000 per season. *1976 - Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck opens training camp in Sarasota, Florida, but participation is limited to nonroster players. 1980s-1990s *1988 - For the first time since 1956, the Veterans Committee does not elect anyone to the Hall of Fame. Phil Rizzuto, Leo Durocher, Joe Gordon and Gil Hodges are among the candidates passed over. *1993 - New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is reinstated as general partner of the team. Commissioner Fay Vincent had banned Steinbrenner from day-to-day activities with the Yankees because of his relationship with convicted gambler Howie Spira. *1994: **Former banker Leonard Coleman is elected National League president, replacing Bill White. Coleman had been executive director for Major League Baseball market development. ***1995 - Anaheim Angels replacement players play Arizona State University in an exhibition game in Tempe, Arizona. It is the first time since 1912 that replacement players have appeared in a game in major league uniforms. *1996 - The Yankees christen Legends Field, their new $30 million 31-acre complex near the Tampa Airport. The field has the exact dimensions of Yankee Stadium. On hand to see Phil Rizzuto toss out the first ball are former Yankees Whitey Ford, Catfish Hunter, Ron Guidry and Chris Chambliss, who then watch the new Yankees beat the American League Champion Cleveland Indians, 5–2. 2000s *2000 - Independent arbitrator Shyam Das cuts Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker's suspension from 28 days to 14 days. Rocker, who is allowed to report to spring training with the team, also has his fine cut. *2002 - The Boston Red Sox fire general manager Dan Duquette and hire Mike Port, on an interim basis. **San Francisco Giants second baseman Jeff Kent breaks his thumb in a domestic accident and is expected to be out for the next 4–6 weeks. *2005: **Pitcher Tim Hudson, deciding not to file as a free agent at the end of the season, Tim Hudson (12-6, 3.53) agrees to a four-year, $47-million contract extension with his new team, the Atlanta Braves.Hudson, who was acquired in a trade with the Oakland Athletics in the off-season, grew up near Atlanta and rooted for the local team as a youngster. In 2004 he posted a 12-6 record with a 3.53 ERA. **Construction for an additional 1,790 bleacher seats at Wrigley Field will begin after the season and will be completed in time for Opening Day 2006. An deal is reached for expansion as the Chicago Cubs agree to pay the city $3.1 million prior to the start of work and by contributing funds for a local school park and a $400,000 traffic signal system near the ball park. *2006 - Pittsburgh Pirates SS Jack Wilson and San Francisco Giants OF Randy Winn agreed with their teams on a three-year contracts extension through the 2009 season. Births *1852 - Paul Hines, outfielder (d. 1935) *1918 - Hank Wyse, All-Star pitcher (d. 2000) *1921 - Howie Fox, pitcher (d. 1955) *1940 - Larry Brown, infielder *1957 - Johnny Ray, All-Star infielder *1962 - Mark Gardner, pitcher *1963 - Tony Castillo, pitcher *1963 - Rich Rodriguez, pitcher *1969 - Doug Creek, pitcher *1972 - Omar Daal, pitcher *1976 - Ramón Castro, catcher *1978 - Ken Harvey, All-Star infielder Deaths *1941 - Ivey Wingo, catcher (b. 1890) *1956 - Ed Heusser, pitcher (b. 1909) *1962 - Hal Janvrin, infielder (b. 1892) *1963 - Irish Meusel, outfielder (b. 1893) *1974 - Larry Doyle, infielder (b. 1886) *1976 - Rube Foster, pitcher (b. 1888) *1980 - Art Jorgens, catcher (b. 1905) *1980 - Johnny Watwood, outfielder (b. 1905) *1994 - Joe Tipton, catcher (b. 1922) *1997 - Monte Kennedy, pitcher (b. 1922)